THEOLOGICAL  SEMI] 

Princeton,  N.  J. 


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I         Booh;  f! 


OUR  FATHER 


CONSIDERATIONS  RELATING 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PRESBYTERIAN   BOARD   OF   PUBLICATION. 


Entered  according  to  the  act  of  Congress,  in  the  year 
1846,  by  A.  W.  Mitchell,  in  the  office  of  the  Clerk  of 
the  District  Court  for  the  Eastern  District  of  Penn- 
sylvania. 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

CHAPTER  I. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  a  Model,  not  a  Form. 

You  were  taught  to  repeat  the  Lord's 
Prayer  before  you  were  able  to  under- 
stand it.  You  used  to  kneel  down  by 
your  mother's  side  and  repeat  it,  when 
you  could  scarcely  utter  a  word  of  it 
distinctly.  As  you  grew  older  your  pa- 
rents tried  to  explain  to  you  the  nature 
of  prayer,  and  to  teach  you  to  make 
known  your  desires  unto  God  in  your  own 
language.  And  they  tried  to  explain  to 
you  more  and  more  the  meaning  of  the 
Lord's  Prayer,  which  you  still  continued 
to  use.   You  are  now  old  enough  to  study 


4  THE  LOUD  S  f'RAYEK. 

it  and  to  understand  it  fully.  To  aid  you 
in  so  doing  I  have  written  the  following 
pages. 

The  Lord's  Prayer  is  recorded  in  the 
sixth  chapter  of  Matthew,  and  the  eleventh 
chapter  of  Luke.  It  is  given  in  Luke  in 
a  condensed  form. 

Luke  gives  us  an  account  of  the  occa- 
sion on  which  it  was  given  by  our  Lord 
to  his  disciples.  It  appears  that  at  a  cer- 
tain time  and  place  he  was  praying  in 
the  presence  of  his  disciples.  When  he 
ceased,  one  of  his  disciples  said,  "Lord, 
teach  us  to  pray,  as  John  also  taught  his 
disciples."  It  is  not  known  who  the  dis- 
ciple was  that  made  this  request.  Per- 
haps he  was  one  of  the  twelve — perhaps 
he  was  one  who  had  recently  become  a 
disciple,  and  felt  the  need  of  instruction 
in  relation  to  prayer.  It  is  not  certain 
whether  he  intended  to  ask  for  a  form  of 


THE  LORD S PRAYER.  5 

prayer,  or  simply  for  instruction  on  the- 
subject  of  prayer.  Our  uncertainty  in 
relation  to  this  is  a  matter  of  no  conse- 
quence. We  have  the  prayer  before  us, 
and  what  chiefly  concerns  us,  is  the  in- 
struction it  was  designed  to  convey. 

It  was  not  the  intention  of  our  Lord 
when  he  gave  this  prayer,  to  teach  the 
doctrine  that  written  forms  are  necessary 
to  acceptable  prayer.  No  such  doctrine 
is  taught  in  the  Bible,  nor  does  the  Bible 
afford  any  example  of  the  use  of  written 
forms. 

The  advocates  of  prelacy  contend  that 
none  but  written  forms  of  prayer  should 
be  used  in  the  public  worship  of  God ; 
that  we  should  never  pray  without  a 
book.  They  read  over  the  same  pray- 
ers, Sabbath  after  Sabbath,  and  no  pray- 
er can  be  offered  unless  it  be  found  in  the 
book.     If  any   extraordinary   calamity 


D  THE  LORD S  PRAYER. 

visit  the  people,  there  can  be  no  public 
prayer  for  its  removal,  till  the  authorities 
of  the  sect  have  proposed  or  approved  a 
form.  The  pestilence  may  be  sweeping 
men  away,  but  the  minister  on  the  Sab- 
bath must  not  pray  that  it  be  staid,  till 
his  diocesan*  sends  him  a  prayer.  Is 
this  reasonable?  Does  God  require  me 
to  abstain  from  prayer  till  it  is  convenient 
for  a  fellow  sinner  to  compose  a  form 
for  me  to  read? 

You  have  been  educated,  thus  far,  in  a 
church  where  there  are  no  such  shackles 
in  the  way  of  approaching  unto  God. 
You  are  descended  from  ancestors  who 
would  not  be  tied  to  a  book,  when  they 
wished  to  pour  out  their  hearts  in  prayer. 
One  of  the  causes  which  led  them  to 
this  western  world,  was  the  desire  to  be 

*  An  Episcopal  or  Romish  bishop. 


THE  LORDS  PRAYER.  7 

free  from  the  burdens  of  forms  and  cere- 
monies, for  which  they  found  no  author- 
ity in  Scripture. 

That  our  Lord  did  not  intend  to  give  a 
form  to  be  adhered  to  on  all  occasions; 
that  he  did  not  intend  to  teach  the  neces- 
sity of  forms,  appears  from  a  variety  of 
considerations. 

If  the  Lord  had  intended  to  teach  that 
written  forms  were  necessary,  he  would 
have  left  an  example  of  the  use  of  them 
himself.  Mention  is  often  made  of  his 
praying,  yet  never  of  his  using  the  Lord's 
Prayer,  or  any  other  form.  On  one 
occasion  it  is  said  that  he  went  up  into 
a  mountain,  and  continued  all  night  in 
prayer  to  God.  No  further  account  is 
given  of  his  supplications  at  that  time, 
but  is  it  probable  that  he  spent  the  whole 
night  in  repeating  the  Lord's  Prayer,  or 
any  other  form  of  words? 


O  THE  LORD  S  PRAYER. 

When  he  offered  the  prayer  for  his 
disciples,  which  is  recorded  in  the  seven- 
teenth chapter  of  John,  it  is  plain  that  he 
had  no  book  before  him.  He  prayed  for 
those  things  of  which  his  disciples,  in 
their  peculiar  circumstances,  had  need. 

The  prayer  which  he  offered  at  the 
grave  of  Lazarus,  was  not  a  precom- 
posed  form.  It  was  suggested  by  the 
circumstances  of  the  occasion. 

There  was  no  prayer-book  in  the  gar- 
den of  Gethsemane.  He  there  poured 
out  before  his  Father  the  feelings  which 
oppressed  his  soul.  True,  he  thrice  re- 
peated the  same  words,  but  they  were  not 
words  which  were  then  written  in  a  book. 

So  far  then  as  the  Saviour's  example 
goes,  it  is  wholly  in  favour  of  extempore 
prayer.  His  prayers  were  always  suited 
to  the  circumstances  of  the  occasion  on 
which  they  were  offered.    This  could  not 


THE  LORD  S  PRAYER.  9 

have  been  the  case  had  he  made  use  of 
previously  composed  forms.  If  we  fol- 
low the  example  of  the  Saviour,  our  pray- 
ers will  be  adapted  to  the  various  circum- 
stances of  our  condition,  and  hence  must 
be  extempore;  for  it  is  impossible  to  pre- 
pare a  book  having  prayers  adapted  to 
all  the  circumstances  in  which  we  may 
be  placed. 

You  may  in  the  course  of  your  life 
become  acquainted  with  those  who  are 
very  zealous  for  the  use  of  prayer-books; 
and  they  may  bring  forward,  much  in 
their  favour,  from  the  Fathers,  about 
whom,  you  as  well  as  they,  may  know 
very  little.  Be  content  with  the  know- 
ledge of  the  fact,  that  the  church  to 
which  you  belong  follows  the  example 
of  Christ  in  this  matter. 

There  is  no  proof  that  the  Lord's  Pray- 
er was  ever  used  in  the  public  worship 


10 


of  God  by  the  apostles  and  early  Chris- 
tians. No  mention  is  made  of  its  use  by 
them  on  any  occasion.  In  every  instance 
in  which  prayer  is  mentioned,  the  con- 
nexion plainly  shows  that  it  was  not  after 
any  written  form. 

The  first  notice  of  prayer  by  the  apos- 
tles after  the  ascension  of  Christ,  is  found 
in  the  first  chapter  of  Acts.  They  were 
proceeding  to  ordain  an  apostle  in  the 
place  of  Judas.  Having  appointed  two 
persons,  they  prayed,  saying,  "Thou, 
Lord,  who  knowest  the  hearts  of  all  men, 
show  whether  of  these  two  thou  hast 
chosen,  that  he  may  take  part  of  this 
ministry  and  apostleship  from  which  Ju- 
das by  transgression  fell,  that  he  might 
go  to  his  own  place." 

The  prayer  here  offered  was  adapted 
to,  and  suggested  by  the  occasion.  It 
was  not  precomposed  and  read  out  of  a 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  11 

book.  And  so  in  every  case  in  which 
prayer  is  mentioned  in  connexion  with 
the  apostles,  there  is  no  notice  whatever 
of  a  written  form ;  so  far  from  this,  in 
every  instance  the  circumstances  related 
render  it  certain  that  the  prayers  offered 
were  extempore. 

There  is  no  proof  whatever,  that  the 
Lord's  Prayer  was  used  as  a  form,  so 
much  as  once  by  any  church  in  the  first 
century.  There  is  no  proof  whatever 
that  any  thing  like  a  prayer-book  was 
then  in  existence.  In  the  early  persecu- 
tions suffered  by  the  Christians,  their 
books  were  collected  and  burnt:  men- 
tion is  made  of  the  Scriptures,  but  none 
whatever  of  prayer-books.  They  were 
not  known  till  after  the  church  began  to 
become  corrupt. 

In  the  third  century  the  Lord's  Prayer 
was  used  in  the  public  worship  of  Chris- 


12  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

tians,  and  as  corruption  increased  in  the 
church,  it  began  to  be  regarded  as  pos- 
sessed of  peculiar  sanctity,  and  its  fre- 
quent repetition  to  be  considered  as  pe- 
culiarly meritorious. 


CHAPTER  II. 
Our  Father,  which  art  in  Heaven. 

The  design  of  the  Lord's -Prayer  is  thus 
expressed  by  Chrysostom,  a  distinguish- 
ed minister  who  lived  in  the  fourth  cen- 
tury. "He  gives  us  a  form  of  prayer, 
not  that  we  may  confine  ourselves  to  this 
alone,  but  that  as  a  fountain  we  may 
draw  from  it  the  thoughts  of  which  our 
prayers  should  be  composed." 

Entertaining  this  view  of  its  design,  I 
shall  proceed  to  consider  the  different 
parts  of  the  prayer. 


the  lokd's  prayer.  13 

Our  Father. 

We  are  taught  to  address  the  "  Creator 
of  all  things,"  the  "great  and  dreadful 
God,"  by  the  endearing  name  of  Father. 
When  men  address  the  kings  of  the 
earth,  they  are  required  to  make  use  of 
the  loftiest  titles.  "  His  Majesty,"  M  The 
Sovereign  of  the  world,"  are  among  the 
titles  by  which  it  is  customary  to  address 
some  who  are  clothed  with  a  little  brief 
authority.  Even  in  our  republican  land, 
"  His  Excellency  "  is  a  title  often  applied 
to  the  President  of  the  United  States,  and 
to  the  Governors  of  the  several  States. 

But  Jehovah,  the  King  of  kings,  al- 
lows us — yea,  requires  us  to  address  Him 
by  the  tender  name  of  Father.  What 
amazing  condescension!  I  wish  you  to 
consider  it.  You  have  used  the  expres- 
sion so  often  that  you  do  not  comprehend 
the  fulness  of  meaning  it  contains;  you 


14  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

do  not  feel  the  wonderful  kindness  and 
condescension  which  it  brings  to  view. 

Suppose  a  poor  ragged  boy  had  been 
picked  up  in  the  street  by  Gen.  Wash- 
ington, and  clothed  and  fed  by  him,  and 
told  to  come  to  him  for  all  that  he  want- 
ed, and  to  call  him  father.  Would  that 
not  have  been  wonderful  condescension 
on  the  part  of  Washington? 

But  all  that  would  be  nothing  com- 
pared with  what  God  has  done  for  you  ; 
with  what  He  is  now  doing  for  you.  He 
takes  a  poor,  blind,  naked,  starving  sin- 
ner, and  supplies  his  necessities,  invites 
him  to  come  to  him  for  every  thing  which 
he  needs,  and  tells  him  always  to  call 
him  Father.  O,  the  amazing  kindness 
and  condescension  of  God ! 

God  is  our  Father.  This  is  a  doctrine 
which  is  taught  by  the  Bible.  Were  it 
not  for  the  Bible  we  should  never  learn 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  15 

it.  The  existence  of  God  can  be  learned 
from  his  works.  We  survey  the  earth, 
and  the  sun,  and  the  stars,  and  we  infer 
that  they  must  have  had  a  cause,  that 
there  is  in  existence  a  Creator;  and  when 
we  examine  the  wonderful  manifestations 
of  contrivance  every  where  apparent,  we 
conclude  that  he  is  possessed  of  power 
and  wisdom,  that  he  is  very  powerful 
and  wise,  But  is  he  good  ?  Does  he  care 
for  us?  Will  he  be  our  Protector  and 
Friend?  Will  he  be  our  Father?  These 
are  questions  which  reason  can  ask,  but 
cannot  answer.  That  he  is  good,  that 
he  will  be  our  Friend  and  Father,  that 
like  as  a  father  pitieth  his  children,  so 
the  Lord  pitieth  them  that  fear  him,  these 
glorious  truths  are  made  known  to  us  by 
the  Bible  alone. 

When  we  pray,  we  are  to  say,  "  Our 
Father,"  but  we  are   not   to   use  these 


16  TltE  LORD'S  rllAYEK. 

words  as  a  mere  form.  There  are  cer- 
tain feelings  without  which  we  cannot  ad- 
dress those  words  to  God  without  sin. 
We  must  have  towards  God  those  feel- 
ings of  respect  and  affection  and  confi- 
dence which  a  child  has  towards  a  kind 
and  noble  parent. 

As  God  is  more  excellent  than  any 
parent,  these  feelings  should  be  of  a 
deeper  and  stronger  character  than  those 
which  are  felt  towards  any  parent.  With 
the  profoundest  reverence,  with  the  warm- 
est gratitude  and  love,  with  the  most  en- 
tire confidence,  we  should  come  into  the 
presence  of  God  and  say,  "Our  Father." 

This  is  a  great  and  difficult  lesson  to 
learn,  but  it  is  a  blessed  one.  There  is 
no  joy  on  earth  like  that  which  a  sinner 
experiences,  when  with  proper  feelings 
of  heart,  he  can  look  up  to  heaven  and 
say,  "  My  Father." 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  17 

I  knew  a  boy  who  was  early  taught 
the  way  of  life,  who  early  felt  that  he 
had  a  soul  to  be  saved.  He  used  to  go 
often  into  a  grove  to  pray.  Once  his 
companions  found  him  there  and  ridi- 
culed him.  He  declared  that  while  he 
had  a  soul  he  would  never  be  ashamed 
to  pray.  A  revival  came  and  his  spirit 
was  deeply  moved.  He  retired  more 
frequently  for  prayer.  One  day  he  came 
into  the  house  and  said  to  his  mother, 
to  the  unutterable  joy  of  her  heart,"  Mo- 
ther, I  can  say,  Our  Father ;"  meaning 
that  he  was  now  conscious  of  possess- 
ing those  feelings  which  rendered  it  pro- 
per for  him  thus  to  address  the  Lord. 
That  boy  became  a  preacher  of  the  ever- 
lasting gospel. 

Reader,  can  you  say,  "  Our  Father  ?" 
Do  you  answer,  "  Not  with  the  feelings 
which  I  ought  to  have  !"    Why  not?    Is 
2 


18  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

he  not  willing  that  you  should  call  him 
Father?  Certainly  he  is.  But  you  do 
not  feel  right.  Why  do  you  not?  Is 
there  any  reason  why  you  should  not 
reverence,  and  love,  and  confide  in  God? 
Are  there  not  abundant  reasons  why  you 
should  do  so?  You  love  your  parents  r 
because  they  are  your  parents,  because  of 
the  care  they  have  taken  of  you,  and  the 
affection  which  they  have  shown  you. 
But  your  parents  did  not  create  your 
body.  They  did  not  give  you  a  mind  to 
think,  or  a  heart  to  feel.  The  relation 
that  you  sustain  to  God  is  far  more  inti- 
mate than  that  which  you  sustain  to  your 
parents.  All  that  you  receive  from  your 
parents  you  receive  from  Him,  for  he 
gave  you  your  parents.  If  you  owe  them 
affection  for  what  you  received  from 
them,  much  more  do  you  owe  it  to  God. 
I  once  asked  a  boy,  Who  took  care  of 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  19 

him,  and  gave  him  the  good  things  which 
he  enjoyed  7  and  he  said,  His  father,  mean- 
ing his  earthly  father.  I  asked  him  where 
the  water  came  from,  that  gushed  up  in 
the  fountain  near  us.  He  said  that  it 
came  out  from  under  the  rock.  I  asked 
him  what  made  it  come  out  from  under 
the  rock?  He  said  that  it  came  from  a 
higher  place.  He  could  see  this,  but  he 
could  not  see  that  his  blessings,  received 
through  his  father,  came  from  a  higher 
place. 

A  father  gives  his  boy  a  basket  of  ap- 
ples, and  the  boy  is  thankful  for  them; 
the  same  father  plants  a  tree  for  his  boy, 
and  it  bears  him  a  great  many  apples. 
Are  not  these  a  gift  of  the  father  as  much 
as  the  former  ones  were?  Is  not  the  son 
under  just  as  much  obligation  to  be 
thankful  for  them  ? 

Every  thing  which  you  enjoy  comes 


20 


from  God,  and  calls  for  gratitude  and 
love.  The  character  of  God  is  such  that 
he  is  worthy  of  our  deepest  reverence, 
and  love,  and  confidence.  We  are  form- 
ed to  love  the  beautiful  and  sublime  in 
nature,  and  the  beautiful  and  lofty  in 
character.  Now  all  conceivable  moral 
excellence  centres  in  God.  We  may  fail 
to  see  this,  and  we  may  fail  to  love  him, 
but  there  can  be  no  excuse  for  us. 

If  we  approach  God  and  call  him  our 
Father,  not  only  must  our  feelings  at  the 
time  be  in  accordance  with  the  expres- 
sion of  our  lips,  but  our  daily  conduct 
must  be  in  accordance  with  it.  If  God 
be  our  Father,  then  must  we  be  zealous 
for  his  honour  and  for  his  interests. 

You  are  very  zealous  for  the  honour 
of  your  earthly  father.  It  gives  you  pain, 
perhaps  makes  you  angry,  to  hear  any 
one  speak  unkindly  or  disrespectfully  of 


21 

him.  You  are  ready  to  resist  every 
effort  to  injure  his  interest  in  any  way. 

If  God  is  your  Father,  you  ought  to  be 
very  zealous  for  his  honour.  When  you 
hear  him  lightly  spoken  of,  when  you 
hear  his  holy  name  profaned,  it  ought  to 
grieve  you  sorely. 

You  ought  to  be  very  careful  of  his 
interest — to  be  ready  to  do  every  thing 
to  promote  the  interests  of  his  cause  on 
the  earth.  You  should  never  injure  his 
cause  yourself,  nor  surfer  it  to  receive 
injury  from  others  if  you  can  prevent  it. 
All  this  you  engage  to  do  when  you 
kneel  down  and  say,  "  Our  Father." 

If  God  is  your  Father,  then  are  you  his 
son,  and  your  conduct  must  be  in  keep- 
ing with  that  fact.  The  son  of  a  Gov- 
ernor must  not  be  seen  in  low  company, 
nor  engaged  in  mean  pursuits,  for  he 
would  thereby  disgrace  his  father.  Much 


22  the  lord's  prayer. 

more  should  a  son  of  God  so  conduct 
himself  as  not  to  bring  dishonour  on  his 
august  Father.  By  addressing  God  as 
your  Father  you  engage  to  act  worthily 
of  the  high  relationship  involved. 

Perhaps  you  will  say, "  I  did  not  know 
there  was  so  much  meaning  in  those 
words ;  it  requires  a  great  deal  to  be  able 
to  say,  «  Our  Father.' " 

I  know  it  does,  but  then  there  is  no- 
thing required  but  what  is  reasonable; 
nothing  but  what  conduces  to  your  high- 
est happiness. 

How  delightful  to  have  a  Father  who 
has  the  riches  of  the  universe  at  his  com- 
mand, in  whose  hand  are  all  the  energies 
of  nature,  the  lightning  and  the  pestilence; 
and  who  can  thus  shield  us  from  all 
harm,  who  knows  all  our  wants,  tempo- 
ral and  spiritual,  and  who  has  declared 
that  he  will  withhold  no  good  thing  from 


the  lord's  fkayer.  23 

those  who  walk  uprightly!  Such  a  Fa- 
ther God  offers  to  be  to  you. 

Notice  the  expression  "  Our  Father." 
You  are  not  told  to  say,  "  My  Father," 
but  "  Our  Father."  This  expression  re- 
minds us  of  the  relation  which  each 
Christian  bears  towards  all  other  Chris- 
tians. Each  Christian  is  a  member,  a 
part  of  the  one  body,  of  which  Christ  is 
the  Head.  Christians  are  members  one 
of  another.  A  very  intimate  relation  ex- 
ists between  them.  When  we  address 
God  as  our  Father,  we  recognize  this  re- 
lation, and  pledge  ourselves  to  the  per- 
formance of  the  duties  arising  from  it. 
Those  duties  are  a  brotherly  love  to  all 
who  belong  to  Christ,  and  a  brotherly 
interest  in  their  welfare. 

God  looks  upon  the  performance  of 
these  duties,  upon  sympathy  and  succour 
given  to  his  people,  with   great  favour. 


24  the  lord's  prayer. 

He  says  that  whoever  does  to  one  of  them 
so  small  a  favour,  as  giving  him  a  cup 
of  cold  water  because  he  belongs  to  Him, 
shall  in  no  case  lose  his  reward.  And 
further  he  says,  that  he  looks  upon  every 
favour  shown  to  the  meanest  Christian 
as  shown  to  himself. 

If  Christ  were  on  earth  you  would 
love  to  do  things  for  him,  to  minister  to 
his  wants,  and  to  comfort  him.  You 
can  do  this  for  him  just  as  well  as  if  he 
were  upon  the  earth  in  person.  By  re- 
lieving the  wants  and  contributing  to  the 
comforts  of  his  people,  you  are  doing 
what  he  regards  as  done  to  himself. 

I  once  knew  a  physician  who  was 
very  careful  to  attend  on  all  poor  Chris- 
tians who  wished  for  his  services.  He 
seldom  received  any  thing  from  them  in 
return  but  their  gratitude  and  prayers. 
He  regarded  them  as  the  most  profitable 


the  lord's  prayer.  25 

patients  he  had.  He  remembered  the 
words  of  the  Saviour,  "  For  as  much  as 
ye  have  done  it  to  the  least  of  these  my 
brethren,  ye  have  done  it  unto  me."  If 
he  was  not  paid  in  this  world,  he  was 
sure  he  should  be  in  the  next. 

Which  art  in  Heaven. 

When  our  translation  was  made,  it  was 
according  to  custom  to  use  the  relative 
pronoun  which  in  referring  to  persons. 
It  is  in  accordance  with  the  present  usage 
of  language  to  say,  Our  Father,  who  art 
in  heaven. 

Why  was  the  phrase  "  who  art  in  hea- 
ven," added]  "  In  order  that  we  might 
connect  nothing  earthly  with  God's  hea- 
venly majesty."  We  are  to  call  him 
Father,  but  we  are  to  remember  how  in- 
finitely he  differs  from  an  earthly  father. 


26  the  lord's  prayer. 

This  expression,  "  who  art  in  heaven," 
seems  to  remind  us  of  this. 

It  may  also  properly  remind  us  that 
this  world  is  not  our  home — that  our  Fa- 
ther's house  in  which  there  are  many 
mansions,  is  in  heaven. 

We  are  told  by  the  Saviour  that  he 
has  gone  to  prepare  places  for  his  peo- 
ple, and  by  and  by  he  will  come  and 
conduct  them  to  the  mansions  which  they 
are  to  occupy  for  ever.  Has  he  gone  to 
prepare  a  place  for  you?  Do  you  expect 
to  have  a  place  in  your  Father's  house 
above?  It  is  a  great  thing  to  have  a  fa- 
ther's house  to  dwell  in  on  earth;  but 
what  is  that,  compared  with  having  a 
home  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens ;  a  Father's  house  in  heaven,  to 
which  you  may  repair  when  you  have 
passed  as  an  hireling  your  day!  O,  if 
one  has  a  good  home  in  heaven,  it  mat- 


the  lord's  prayer.  27 

ters  little  whether  he  has  or  has  not  one 
on  earth.  Many  a  houseless  wanderer  on 
earth  has  a  mansion  ready,  a  glorious 
home  prepared  for  him  in  heaven. 


CHAPTER  III. 

Hallowed  be  thy  name. 

The  first  petition  which  we  are  instruct- 
ed to  offer  is  not  for  worldly  prosperi- 
ty, nor  even  for  the  salvation  of  our 
souls.  It  has  reference  to  God.  We  are 
told  to  pray  first  of  all  that  God  may  be 
reverenced,  that  his  name  may  be  hon- 
oured; for  this  is  the  meaning  of  the 
phrase,  "  Hallowed  be  thy  name."  It 
is  to  be  the  first  and  supreme  desire  of 
our  souls,  that  God  may  be  honoured; 
this  is  to  be  the  first  subject  of  prayer. 
If  we  have  this  desire  we  shall  ap- 


28 


proach  unto  God  in  prayer  with  great 
reverence.  Holy  men  in  all  ages  have 
been  remarkable  for  the  reverence  and 
awe  with  which  they  have  come  into  the 
presence  of  God.  The  angels  are  repre- 
sented as  veiling  their  faces  in  His  pre- 
sence, and  crying  "Holy, holy, holy  is  the 
Lord  of  hosts."  If  the  angels  come  into 
his  presence  with  fear  and  trembling  be- 
cause of  his  awful  holiness,  much  more 
should  sinners  such  as  we  are. 

If  we  have  any  just  views  of  our  own 
sinfulness,  and  the  purity  of  the  Divine 
character,  we  shall  come  into  his  pre- 
sence with  self  abasement  and  godly  fear. 

When  you  see  men  affect  great  fami- 
liarity with  Jehovah,  you  have  reason  to 
fear  that  they  have  a  very  imperfect 
knowledge  of  his  character  and  of  their 
own.  I  am  always  afraid  for  those  who 
mistake  familiarity  for  fervour  in  prayer; 


the  lord's  prayer.  29 

who  use  the  name  of  God  as  they  would 
that  of  a  mortal.  Some  true  Christians,  I 
doubt  not,  being  led  astray  for  a  time  by  a 
zeal  which  is  not  according  to  knowledge, 
may  be  guilty  of  this  sin.  But  in  gene- 
ral, true  piety  is  connected  with,  I  had 
almost  said,  consists  in,  reverence  for 
God.  This  is  what  is  commonly  meant 
by  "  fear  of  the  Lord,"  which  occurs  so 
frequently  in  the  Bible. 

In  order  that  you  may  hallow  the  name 
of  God  in  prayer,  you  should  never  en- 
gage in  that  duty  without  preparation. 

If  you  were  going  to  ask  a  favour  of 
the  President  of  the  United  States,  you 
would  not  rush  into  his  presence  in  a 
careless  or  boisterous  manner.  You 
would  prepare  yourself  to  come  before 
him,  and  set  in  order  what  you  intended 
to  say.  You  would  show  him  all  the  signs 
of  the  most  profound  respect.     And  all 


30  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

this  would  be  proper  and  right.  But 
should  you  come  into  the  presence  of  God 
more  carelessly  than  you  would  come 
into  the  presence  of  the  President? 

See  to  it  that  you  make  preparation 
when  you  come  before  God  in  prayer. 
Be  deliberate;  consider  his  holiness  and 
greatness;  the  guilt  of  mocking  him  by 
drawing  near  with  the  lips  while  the  heart 
is  far  from  him.  Thus  will  you  be  aided 
in  hallowing  the  name  of  the  Lord,  in 
coming  into  his  presence  "  with  reve- 
rence and  godly  fear." 

Again,  you  must  always  treat  the  name 
of  God  with  great  reverence  when  you 
use  it.  It  should  never  be  used  except 
when  necessary,  and  then  with  great 
seriousness  and  fear.  Some  persons  form 
the  habit  of  repeating  that  holy  name  too 
frequently  in  prayer,  and  thus  fail  to 
hallow  it.   Newton,  the  great  astronomer, 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  31 

never  used  the  name  of  God,  without 
making  a  reverential  pause.  Imitate  his 
illustrious  example. 

Again,  you  must  not  only  avoid  pro- 
fanity, but  use  your  influence  to  prevent 
it  in  others.  If  it  is  painful  for  you  to 
hear  it,  and  you  do  not  conceal  your 
feelings,  many  will  be  restrained  from 
profanity  in  your  presence.  But  this 
silent  disapprobation  is  not  all  that  you 
are  to  show.  You  are  to  rebuke  those 
who  sin  thus  openly.  I  do  not  say  that 
you  are  to  rebuke  every  person  that  you 
hear  swear.  You  must  consider  whether 
it  is  proper  in  the  circumstances  of  the 
case,  and  whether  it  will  be  likely  to  do 
more  good  than  harm. 

It  is  always  proper  for  you  to  reprove 
your  companions  for  swearing,  and  if 
they  do  not  cease  from  it,  they  must  not 


32  the  lord's  prayer. 

be  your  companions.  You  must  not 
willingly  associate  with  those  who  wan- 
tonly insult  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven. 

Sometimes  it  is  proper  for  a  young  per- 
son to  reprove  this  vice  in  one  that  is 
older  than  himself.  But  this  can  com- 
monly be  done  to  the  best  advantage  in- 
directly. I  will  give  you  an  example  of 
what  I  mean.  There  was  a  boy  who 
was  travelling  with  his  parents,  and  be- 
came acquainted  at  a  hotel  at  which  they 
stopped,  with  a  stranger.  He  was  a 
polished  man,  but  he  swore  dreadfully. 
The  stranger  took  a  liking  to  little  Robert, 
and  offered  to  take  him  to  see  the  water- 
works in  the  vicinity.  Robert  wished 
very  much  to  go,  but  declined  the  invita- 
tion. '•  Don't  you  wish  to  go?"  said  the 
stranger. 

"  Yes,  sir,  very  much,"  said  Robert. 


the  lord's  prayer.  33 

"  I  have  asked  your  father,  and  he  says 
you  may  go.  What  is  the  difficulty 
then?" 

Robert  hesitated  for  a  moment,  and 
said,  "  I  don't  like  to  go  with  a  man  who 
swears  so." 

The  stranger  blushed,  and  said,  "  You 
are  right,  my  boy ;  go  with  me,  and  I  will 
not  swear  a  word  while  we  are  gone." 

Robert  then  went  with  him,  and  had  a 
very  pleasant  excursion,  much  more  so 
than  if  he  had  not  preferred  to  forego  it, 
rather  than  hear  God's  name  dishonour- 
ed. 

There  is  a  class  of  expressions  which 
many  use  without  much  thought,  which 
ought  to  be  avoided  because  they  savour 
of  irreverence  for  God.  I  mean  such  ex- 
pressions as  "  good  gracious,"  "  mercy 
on  us,"  and  the  like.  All  such  expres- 
3 


34 


sions  are  wicked,  and  should  be  wholly 
avoided. 

Again,  you  must  hallow  God's  name 
in  the  sanctuary.  When  you  behave 
with  levity  and  indecorum  in  God's  house, 
you  are  guilty  of  insulting  God.  A  great 
many  fail  in  this  respect.  I  have  seen 
a  great  many  young  persons  who,  one 
would  think,  had  been  brought  up  to  know 
better,  whispering  and  smiling  in  God's 
house,  and  looking  about  with  an  air  of 
idle  curiosity,  instead  of  seriously  joining 
in  the  worship  of  God.  Sometimes  I  have 
seen  them  asleep.  Now  would  they  be- 
have thus  if  they  were  in  the  Governor's 
house?  Would  they  go  to  sleep  in  his 
presence,  while  some  one  was  delivering 
a  message  from  him  to  them?  Certainly 
not.  They  would  have  too  much  res- 
pect for  the  Governor  to  do  so.  Where 
is  their  respect  for  God? 


the  lord's  prayer.  35 

There  is  another  way  in  which  the 
guilt  of  irreverence  is  contracted.  It  is 
by  quoting  Scripture  in  a  light  and  tri- 
fling manner.  Some  attempt  to  show 
their  wit  by  making  ludicrous  applica- 
tions of  texts  of  Scripture.  I  have  known 
some  good  men  who  indulged  in  this  sin- 
ful habit.  I  presume  they  did  not  see  it 
in  its  true  light.  Never  make  a  quota- 
tion from  Scripture  except  in  seriousness 
or  for  some  good  purpose.  Never  laugh 
or  in  any  way  express  approbation,  when 
you  hear  the  Scriptures  used  with  levity 
or  profaneness.  The  Bible  is  God's 
word.     Trifling  with  it,  is  insulting;  God. 

I  have  thus  pointed  out  several  ways 
in  which  men  fail  to  hallow  the  name  of 
God.  All  these,  and  all  other  ways  of 
doing  the  same  thing,  you  promise  to 
avoid  when  you  offer  the  petition,  "  hal- 
lowed be  thy  name." 


36 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Thy  Kingdom  come. 

This  is  the  second  petition  of  the  prayer 
under  consideration.  It  relates  to  the 
kingdom  of  God,  and  not  to  ourselves 
and  our  own  interests,  except  so  far  as 
they  are  blended  with  the  kingdom  of 
God.  We  are  not  to  ask  blessings  for 
ourselves,  in  the  first,  in  the  second,  nor  in 
the  third  place.  We  are  to  pray  for  God's 
honour,  for  the  advancement  of  his  cause, 
and  the  doing  of  his  will,  before  we  pray 
for  any  private  blessings. 

This  is  reasonable.  It  is  reasonable 
that  God  and  his  cause  should  be  served 
before  ourselves  and  our  petty  interests. 

This  direction  is  in  accordance  with 
the  promptings  of  true  Christian  affection. 
It  is  natural  for  the  heart  to  pray  first 


the  lord's  prayer.  37 

for  that  which  it  loves  most.  The  true 
Christian  loves  God  with  all  his  heart, 
and  soul,  and  strength,  that  is,  with  his 
highest  affection,  and  hence  he  is  led  to 
pray  for  his  honour  and  his  cause,  in  pre- 
ference to  his  own  wants  and  interests. 

It  was  not  designed  to  teach  that  in 
every  prayer,  we  should  preserve  the 
order  here  laid  down.  It  is  often  proper 
to  confine  our  prayers  at  a  given  time, 
to  a  particular  topic.  Examples  of  this 
have  been  brought  to  notice  on  a  former 
page.  It  is  proper  when  prayer  is  of- 
fered in  the  public  assembly,  to  offer  pe- 
titions, in  an  order  differing  from  the  one 
above  considered,  even  as  circumstances 
and  the  feelings  of  the  heart  shall  sug- 
gest. But  the  objects  which  should  be  first 
in  our  estimation,  and  which  we  should 
desire  above  all  others,  are  those  which 
relate  to  the  honour  and  glory  of  God.  If 


38  the  lord's  prayer. 

a  man  cannot  pray  for  these  objects,  he 
cannot  pray  at  all. 

Perhaps  when  this  prayer  was  first 
given,  the  phrase,  "thy  kingdom  come," 
had  especial  reference  to  the  introduction 
of  the  Christian  dispensation.  However 
this  may  be,  we  may  now  properly  un- 
derstand it  as  having  reference  to  the 
spread  of  the  gospel  throughout  the  earth. 
That  God's  kingdom  may  come  in  this 
sense,  that  the  gospel  may  be  preached 
to  all  men,  and  that  they  may  receive  it 
and  obey  it,  is  to  be  most  fervently  de- 
sired by  every  follower  of  Christ. 

Do  you  thus  fervently  desire  the  com- 
ing of  God's  kingdom  1  Does  your  heart 
rejoice  when  you  hear  of  the  progress  of 
this  kingdom  ;  when  you  hear  of  revi- 
vals, and  of  increased  efforts  to  publish 
the  glad  tidings? 

Are  these  not  strong  reasons  why  you 


the  lord's  prayer.  39 

should  desire  this?  Consider  that  the 
world  belongs  to  Christ.  He  has  bought 
it  with  his  own  blood.  Ought  he  not  to 
have  that  which  he  purchased  at  so  great 
a  price?  Ought  he  to  be  kept  out  of  his 
possession  by  the  great  enemy  of  right- 
eousness? 

Suppose  your  father  had  worked  very 
hard,  and  had  purchased  a  piece  of  land, 
and  a  wicked  man  refused  to  give  it  up 
to  him.  You  would  feel  indignant,  and 
would  earnestly  desire  that  your  father 
should  have  that  which  he  had  purchased 
at  the  expense  of  so  much  toil.  You 
would  be  willing  to  employ  any  lawful 
means  to  put  him  in  possession  of  his 
own. 

Now  this  world  belongs  to  Christ,  and 
was  purchased  by  toil  and  blood.  If  you 
love  him  as  you  ought,  you  will  earnest- 
ly desire  that  he  should  have  that  which 


40  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

he  has  purchased,  and  you  will  use  all 
lawful  means  to  put  him  in  possession  of 
his  own. 

One  of  the  divinely  appointed  means 
of  doing  this  is  prayer.  This  is  a  means 
which  you  cannot  use  too  much.  By 
prayer  you  may  help  to  put  the  Saviour 
in  possession  of  his  own. 

Again;  consider  the  condition  of  the 
world — the  miseries  of  the  heathen — the 
sighing  of  the  oppressed — the  bondage  of 
sinners.  Consider  that  the  roll  of  this 
world's  history  is  written  within  and 
without,  with  mourning,  and  lamentation 
and  woe.  Consider  that  this  cruelty, 
and  degradation  and  misery  would  be  at 
once  removed  by  the  universal  preva- 
lence of  the  gospel.  Is  not  this  motive 
strong  enough  to  move  a  feeling  heart  to 
pray  "thy  kingdom  come?" 

But  there  are  other  means  of  promo- 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  41 

ting  the  coming  of  Christ's  kingdom  be- 
sides prayer.  One  is  the  giving  of  money 
to  send  the  missionary  and  the  Bible,  to 
the  heathen  and  destitute.  If  we  care 
for  God's  cause  as  we  ought,  we  shall 
cheerfully  give  as  the  Lord  has  prospered 
us.  There  is  no  one  who  cannot  give 
something,  though  it  be  but  a  single 
penny.  The  poor  widow  whom  Christ 
saw  casting  her  two  mites  into  the  trea- 
sury, might  have  said  she  had  nothing 
to  give,  with  far  more  propriety  than 
any  one  who  reads  this  book  can.  Yet 
she  practised  self-denial  and  gave  a  far- 
thing. Christ  commended  her,  and  caused 
her  example  to  be  recorded  for  the  imi- 
tation of  all  coining  time. 

Sometimes  young  persons  say,  "  I  can 
give  so  little  that  it  wont  do  any  good. 
I  have  but  a  few  cents,  they  wont  buy  a 
Bible  or  anything  else.     I  will  therefore 


42  the  lord's  trayeb. 

spend  them  for  something  that  I  want 
myself." 

Suppose  the  poor  widow  had  reasoned 
in  that  way,  and  had  bought  a  dinner 
with  her  two  mites,  instead  of  casting 
them  into  the  treasury  of  the  Lord, 
would  she  have  gained  the  approbation 
of  Christ?  Would  she  have  been  hap- 
pier?    I  think  not. 

Again,  you  have  no  right  to  say  that 
the  small  offering  you  may  make  will 
not  do  any  good.  That  rests  with  God, 
and  you  know  not  his  plans  and  the  ex- 
tent of  his  power.  He  often  uses  the 
weakest  instruments  for  the  accomplish- 
ment of  the  greatest  effects.  He  may  so 
order  it,  that  the  {ew  pennies  of  the  poor, 
self-denying,  praying  Christian,  may  do 
more  good  than  hundreds  of  dollars,  given 
in  ostentation  by  a  rich  Pharisee.  Our 
Lord  said  that  this  poor  widow  had  cast 


43 


!in  more  than  they  all.  That  was  God's 
estimate  of  the  value  of  her  gift,  and  he 
'had  power  to  make  it  accomplish  more 
'good  than  all  the  other  sifts  which  were 
cast  into  the  treasury. 
•  The  duty  of  giving  does  not  depend 
upon  the  greater  or  less  amount  of  good 
"which  will  be  done.  It  rests  on  the  com- 
mand of  God,  and  the  question  should  be, 
what  does  God  wish  me  to  give?  To  be 
'sure,  the  probable  amount  of  good  may 
'be  considered,  in  order  to  determine  God's 
will.  But  we  should  feel  the  obligation 
cto  give,  whether  the  prospect  be  dark  or 
bright,  for  God  has  commanded  it. 

He  has  also  fixed  a  reward  to  it.  The 
Lord  "  loveth  a  cheerful  giver."  Men  do 
a  great  many  things  to  make  people  love 
jthem.  It  were  wiser  to  do  that  which  will 
"make  God  love  them. 

God  hath  said,  "  it  is  more  blessed  to 


44  the  lord's  prayer. 

give  than  to  receive ;" — and  again,  "  give, 
and  it  shall  be  given  unto  you ;  good  mea- 
sure, pressed  down,  and  shaken  together, 
and  running  over,  shall  men  give  unto 
you." 

The  way  to  be  happy  is  to  form  the 
habit  of  generous  benevolence.  The  way 
to  provide  against  future  want,  is  to  lend  | 
freely  unto  the  Lord,  for  it  will  surely  be 
repaid,  and  just  in  the  way  which  infinite 
wisdom  sees  fit  and  best  for  the  individual 
concerned. 

To  pray,  thy  kingdom  come,  and  not 
give,  is  as  absurd  as  to  say  to  a  poor  per- 
son, "  depart  in  peace,  and  be  warmed 
and  filled,"  and  yet  not  give  him  the 
things  needful  to  those  ends. 

There  are  other  means  besides  prayer 
and  alms-giving,  for  the  spread  of  the 
gospel  and  the  upbuilding  of  Christ's 
cause.    Every  time  you  strive  to  do  good 


the  lord's  prayer.  45 

on  right  principles  you  promote  the  com- 
'  ing  of  Christ's  kingdom.  Every  day  fur* 
-nishes  some  opportunity  of  doing  good. 
Now  you  can  show  kindness  to  that 
J  weary  traveller  for  Christ's  sake;  now 
you  can  set  an  example  of  Christian  for- 
'bearance  before  that  ungodly  man ;  now 
iyou  may  give  a  word  of  reproof  and 
warning  to  that  bold  transgressor;  now 
3you  may,  by  acts  of  kindness,  win  on 
^that  Sabbath  breaker,  so  that  you  can  in* 
ijduce  him  to  come  to  the  house  of  God. 
Every  day  furnishes  opportunities  of  do* 
*ing  good  to  those  who  will  rightly  em- 
■ploy  them. 

1  But  perhaps  you  may  say,  "  I  am 
'young  and  feeble.  I  cannot  do  any 
;  good  if  I  were  to  try.  I  have  tried,  but 
''never  saw  that  any  good  followed  my 
'efforts." 

To  this  I  answer,  that  when  God  or- 


46  the  lord's  prayer. 

ders  us  to  do  a  thing,  it  makes  no  differ- 
ence whether  we  can  see  any  good  to 
come  from  it  or  not.     We  are  under  ob- 
ligation to  obey.     But  then  God  in  great 
kindness  has  so  ordered  it,  that  our  la- 
bour in  doing  good  is  never  lost.    "  Inas- 1 
much  as  ye  know  that  your  labour  is  not] 
in  vain  in  the  Lord."     Labour  in   the; 
Lord,  that  is,  labour  to   do  good,  per-; 
formed   in  obedience  to   God's   will,   is -j 
never  in  vain.     It  will  accomplish  just 
what  God  wills  it  shall  accomplish,  and  .j 
what  pious  heart  desires  more?     If  God 
causes    my   labours  to  accomplish   just 
what  he  wills  they  should  accomplish,  I 
ought  to  be  content. 

It  is  a  great  privilege  and  source  of 
happiness  to  labour  for  Christ's  cause. 
It  causes  one  to  feel  that  there  is  some- 
thing worth  living  for.     All   Christians  j 
are  labourers  together  with  God,  in  car- 


the  lord's  prayer.  47 

rying  out  his  glorious  plans  and  purposes 
respecting  the  redemption  of  this  fallen 
world.  It  is  a  noble  work,  it  is  one  in 
which  we  have  a  glorious  master  and  co- 
worker, and  one  in  which  we  are  sure  of 
glorious  results. 

Remember,  that  when  you  pray,  "  thy 
kingdom  come,"  you  engage  to  give  and 
to  labour  for  the  object  for  which  you 
pray.  Every  morning  you  should  ask, 
"  What  can  I  do  for  the  cause  of  Christ 
to-day?" 


CHAPTER  V. 

Thy  Will  be  done. 

Some  think  they  have  made  great  pro- 
gress in  religion  if  they  can  submit  to 
God's  will  when  their  own  will  cannot  be 


48  the  lord's  prayer. 

gratified.  Submission,  true  submission, 
is  not  acquiescence  with  what  cannot  be 
helped ;  it  is  a  cordial  desire  that  God's 
will  should  be  done  in  preference  to  our 
own. 

It  is  reasonable  that  we  should  have 
this  desire,  and  say,  "  Thy  will  be  done." 
God  knows  the  end  from  the  beginning. 
He  worketh  all  things  according  to  the 
counsel  of  his  own  will.  He  has  de- 
clared, that  he. will  cause  all  things  to 
work  together  for  good  to  those  who  love 
him.  His  will  must  therefore  be  better 
for  us  than  our  own ;  therefore  we  should 
desire  that  it  should  be  done  instead  of 
our  own. 

A  good  child  submits  to  the  better 
judgment  of  his  earthly  father,  and  shall 
we  not  cheerfully  submit  to  the  better 
judgment  of  our  heavenly  Father! 

I  have  shown  that  it  is  reasonable  for 


the  lord's  prayer.  49 

us  to  prefer  the  will  of  God  to  our  own, 
but  I  do  not  mean  that  1  have  given  the 
chief  reason  why  we  should  do  so.  The 
chief  reason  is  not  because  it  will  benefit 
us  to  do  so.  The  obligation  would  be  the 
same,  even  if  it  were  not  true  that  He  will 
cause  all  things  to  work  together  for  our 
good.  We  ought  to  desire  that  God's 
will  should  be  done  because  it  is  holy, 
because  he  is  God.  Our  love  to  him 
should  be  so  strong,  that  our  will  should 
be  lost  in  his.  You  know  that  we  prefer 
the  feelings  of  those  we  love  to  our  own. 
This  is  the  nature  of  pure  and  strong  af- 
fection. If  we  love  God  supremely,  our 
affection  will  lead  us  to  "  know  no  will 
but  his." 

There  is  a  great  deal  of  false  submis- 
sion, or  rather  there  is  a  great  deal  that 
does   not  rest  on   the   true   foundation. 
The  Psalmist  understood  it,  when  he  said, 
4 


50  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

"  I  was  dumb  because  thou  didst  it."  If 
God  has  done  a  thing,  that  is  reason 
enough  for  our  cheerfully  submitting  to 
it.  A  widow  once  lost  her  only  son,  the 
stay  of  her  declining  years.  Her  friends 
gathered  around  her,  and  strove  to  com- 
fort her.  Various  topics  of  consolation 
were  offered,  various  reasons  were  set 
forth,  why  she  should  be  submissive.  She 
listened  to  them  for  a  time,  and  then  said, 
"  There  may  be  reason  in  what  you  say, 
but  I  can't  feel  it.  If  it  were  not  for  one 
thought,  I  could  not  bear  my  trouble. 
God  has  done  it,  and  I  am  content." 

O  the  blessedness  of  the  man  who  can 
say  in  regard  to  every  thing  that  takes 
place,  "  God  has  done  it,  and  I  am  con- 
tent !" 

When  we  pray,  "  Thy  will  be  done," 
we  engage  to  do  that  will  ourselves,  and 
to  do  all  in  power  to  induce  others  to  do 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  51 

it.  We  cannot  pray  aright  unless  it  is  our 
purpose  to  render  obedience  to  God  in  all 
things — unless  to  do  his  will  is  our  meat 
and  drink,  that  is,  the  great  and  most  in- 
teresting object  of  our  lives. 

To  do  and  to  suffer  the  will  of  God  is 
our  great  business  here  below.  In  order 
to  do  his  will  we  must  know  what  it  is ;  and 
in  order  to  pray  in  the  right  spirit,  we 
must  earnestly  desire  to  know  what  is 
the  will  of  God,  what  the  Lord  would 
have  us  to  do.  A  great  point  is  gained 
when  it  becomes  a  matter  of  inquiry 
every  day,  "  Lord,  what  wilt  thou  have 
me  to  do?"  When  this  is  the  case,  then 
the  Bible  will  be  studied,  and  the  leadings 
of  Providence  carefully  observed,  that  we 
may  determine  what  duty  is.  Then  shall 
we  attain  to  the  true  idea  of  a  religious 
life. 

Some  suppose  that  religion  consists  in 


52  the  lord's  prayer. 

certain  acts  of  devotion,  and  praise,  and 
occasional  efforts  to  do  good.  They  do 
not  know  that  every  act  of  our  lives  is, 
or  ought  to  be,  a  religious  act ;  that  every 
act  performed  in  obedience  to  the  will  of 
God  is  a  religious  act.  We  are  bound 
to  have  reference  to  the  will  of  God  in 
every  act.  "Whether  ye  eat  or  drink,  or 
whatsoever  ye  do,  do  all  to  the  glory  of 
God."  When  a  man  is  doing  at  a  particu- 
lar time  what  God  would  have  him  to  do, 
he  is  performing  a  religious  duty.  At  one 
hour  God  would  have  a  man  engaged  in 
prayer.  If  he  prays  then,  he  is  perform- 
ing a  religious  duty.  At  another  hour 
God  would  have  a  man  labour  diligently 
in  his  calling.  If  he  labour  thus  then,  he 
is  performing  a  religious  duty.  The  great 
thing  to  be  aimed  at,  is  always  to  be  em- 
ployed just  as  God  would  have  us  em- 
ployed.    Then  we  are  always  safe  and 


the  lord's  prayer.  53 

no  evil  can  surprise  us.  Some  hope  that 
death  when  it  must  come,  will  find  them 
praying.  There  is  no  reason  why  they 
should  desire  to  be  found  praying,  rather 
than  performing  some  other  duty. 

Chief  Justice  Hale  was  once  holding  a 
court,  and  a  terrible  thunder-storm  came 
up.  The  heavens  grew  so  dark,  and  the 
lightnings  were  so  vivid,  and  the  thunder 
rolled  so  loudly,  that  the  lawyers  and  all 
who  were  in  the  court-room,  except  the 
judge,  fled  in  terror.  After  the  storm  had 
passed,  they  returned  and  found  the 
judge  had  been  busily  engaged  in  mat- 
ters pertaining  to  the  cause.  One  ex- 
pressed his  surprise,  and  said,  that  he 
verily  thought  the  day  of  judgment  had 
come. 

The  judge  replied,  that  he  did  not 
think  the  day  of  judgment  was  come,  for 
there  remained  prophecies  yet  to  be  ful- 


54  the  lord's  prayer. 

filled,  but  if  it  had  been  so,  he  was  just 
where  he  would  wish  to  be  found,  en- 
gaged in  the  performance  of  duty. 

We  are  to  pray  that  the  will  of  God 
may  be  done  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in 
heaven.  Now  his  will  is  done  perfectly 
in  heaven — and  thus  we  pray  that  it  may 
be  done  perfectly  on  earth. 

What  a  change  would  be  effected  in 
the  condition  of  this  world  if  the  will  of 
God  were  perfectly  obeyed.  We  have  a 
beautiful  earth ;  the  materials  of  happi- 
ness to  a  race  of  holy  beings  are  most 
abundant.  It  is  sin  that  has  caused  this 
world's  history  to  be  written  in  tears  and 
blood — it  is  sin  that  has  made  the  earth 
one  vast  charnel-house.  If  God's  will 
were  done  on  earth  as  it  is  done  in  hea- 
ven, earth  would  be  almost  transformed 
to  heaven.  Remember  that  every  time 
you  exert  an  influence,  tending  to  lead 


the  lord's  prayer.  55 

men  to  render  obedience  to  the  will  of 
God,  you  are  doing  that  which  tends  to 
transform  this  earth  to  heaven. 

Of  all  the  ways  that  you  can  promote 
the  happiness  of  others,  there  is  none  so 
effective  and  lasting  as  inducing  them  to 
do  the  will  of  God.  You  put  into  their 
hands  a  key  that  unlocks  the  treasures 
of  the  universe. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Give  us  this  day  our  daily  Bread. 

Having  prayed  for  things  connected 
with  the  glory  of  God,  and  the  interests 
of  his  kingdom,  we  are  next  allowed  to 
pray  for  ourselves.  We  are  taught  to 
pray  for  such  things  as  are  necessary  to 


56  the  lord's  prayer. 

the  continuance  of  our  existence.  By  the 
term  bread,  is  meant  all  those  things 
which  are  necessary  to  our  subsistence 
and  comfort.  For  all  such  things  we 
are  authorized  to  pray — not  for  super- 
fluities and  luxuries. 

And  we  are  to  ask  for  them  only  as 
we  have  need  of  them ;  we  are  to  pray 
for  our  daily  bread. 

We  must  therefore  feel  our  dependence 
upon  God  for  our  daily  bread.  Some 
feel  this  when  they  have  no  visible  means 
of  support,  but  not  when  they  have  pro- 
perty at  their  command.  But  they  are 
in  truth  just  as  much  dependent  at  one 
time  as  another.  Suppose  one  has  his 
barns  and  his  store-houses  full ;  unless  he 
has  health  so  that  he  can  partake  of  his 
daily  food,  those  stores  will  be  of  no  use 
to  him.  For  that  health  he  is  dependent 
upon  God.    So  that  after  all  he  is  just  as 


THE  LORDS  PRAYER.  0/ 

much  dependent  upon  God  for  the  con- 
tinuance and  comforts  of  his  life,  as  is  the 
beggar  who  gathers  his  food  from  door 
to  door. 

When  we  feel  our  entire  dependence 
upon  God  for  any  thing,  then  shall  we 
pray  for  it..  Hence  in  order  to  cherish 
the  spirit  of  prayer,  we  must  meditate 
upon  our  condition,  so  that  we  clearly 
perceive  and  feel  our  dependence. 

As  God  furnishes  the  means  of  pre- 
serving our  lives,  as  he  gives  us  our 
bread,  it  is  as  easy  for  him  to  give  it  to 
us  day  by  day  as  in  any  other  way.  He 
has  directed  us  to  ask  for  it  in  this  way, 
that  we  may  be  kept  in  remembrance  of 
our  dependence,  and  may  enjoy  the  plea- 
sure of  recognizing  daily  the  tokens  of 
his  affection. 

You  love  to  receive  presents  from 
your  parents.     You  value  them  not  only 


58  the  lord's  prayer. 

for  their  worth,  but  as  tokens  of  parental 
love.  Now  you  should  look  upon  every 
thing  you  enjoy  as  a  token  of  your  hea- 
venly Father's  love.  Would  not  this  habit 
add  greatly  to  your  joy? 

While  we  thus  feel  our  dependence 
upon  God,  and  pray  to  him  for  our  daily 
bread,  we  must  not  neglect  the  proper 
means  of  procuring  it.  To  ask  God  for 
it,  and  not  use  the  means  for  obtaining 
it,  is  tempting  God;  a  sin  severely  re- 
buked in  the  sacred  volume. 

When  we  have  prayed  in  the  right 
spirit,  and  put  forth  the  exertions  in  our 
power,  then  we  are  to  trust  to  God  and 
lay  aside  all  anxiety  in  regard  to  the 
means  of  our  support.  Our  bread  shall 
be  given  us,  our  water  shall  be  sure,  for 
the  mouth  of  the  Lord  has  spoken  it.  It 
is  sinful  to  indulge  fears  with  respect  to 
our  future  wants  during  our  pilgrimage. 


the  lord's  pkayer.  59 

i    We  have  a  rich   Father  whose  tender- 

-  ness  towards  us  the  tongue  of  an  angel 

-  could  not  describe.  We  have  his  promise 
i  that  he  will  take  care  of  us.     We  have 

therefore  nothing  to  do  but  trust  in  Him. 
c  Many  have  done  so,  and  there  never  was 

-  one  disappointed. 

!  We  are  unwilling  to  rest  on  God's 
■  word  alone.  We  feel  more  secure  if  we 
;  can  see  where  our  support  is  to  come 
from.  We  would  aid  faith  a  little  by 
sight.  But  it  is  safest  to  trust  in  God. 
We  may  not  be  able  to  see  how  he  will 
take  care  of  us.  As  thy  day  is,  so  shall 
thy  strength  be,  is  his  word,  and  we  all 
ought  to  trust  it  with  a  firmness  that  the 
removal  of  the  foundations  of  the  earth 
could  not  shake. 

We  are  authorized  to  ask  for  that  de- 
gree of  spiritual  nourishment  which  we 
need  for  the  day,  and  we  are  not  author- 


60  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

ized  to  ask  for  more.  Many  do  not  un- 
derstand this.  They  contemplate  some 
Christian  grace  and  are  conscious  that 
they  do  not  possess  it.  They  find  that 
some  have  shown  themselves  ready  to 
embrace  the  stake,  and  they  know  lhat 
the  test  of  discipleship  is  to  be  willing  to 
give  up  all  for  Christ,  property  and  life. 
They  pray  for  the  state  of  mind  evinced 
by  the  martyr;  and  their  prayers  are  not 
answered.  In  other  words  they  pray  for 
the  grace  of  martyrdom,-  and  it  is  not 
given.  They  then  perhaps  are  in  dis- 
tress, through  fear  that  they  do  not  come 
up  to  the  terms  of  discipleship,  for,  say 
they,  unless  a  man  is  willing  to  give  up 
all  that  he  hath,  he  cannot  be  Christ's  dis- 
ciple. 

Now  the  error  here  lies  in  misappre- 
hension of  the  true  test  of  discipleship. 
A   man   must  be  willing  to  give  up  his 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  61 


property  or  his  life,  if  God  requires  it,  or 
he  cannot  be  a  disciple.  But  he  need 
not  be  willing  to  give  up  what  God  does 
not  require,  or  when  he  does  not  require 
it.  The  question  is,  are  you  willing  to 
give  up  all  that  God  now  requires  you 
to  give  up?  If  you  are,  you  meet  the 
conditions  of  saivation. 

In  regard  to  a  martyr's  grace,  rest  upon 
the  promise  "  As  thy  day  is  so  shall  thy 
strength  be."  If  God  shall  call  upon 
.you  to  breast  the  flood,  or  embrace  the 
flame,  rely  on  him  for  strength  to  do  so. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Forgive  us  our  Debts,  as  we  forgive  our  debtors. 

We  now  come  to  a  very  solemn  part  of 
the  prayer  under  consideration.    Forgive 


62  the  lord's  prayer. 

us  our  debts,  our  sins.  We  are  all  sin- 
ners, and  therefore  all  need  forgiveness. 
There  is  no  way  by  which  we  may  atone 
for  our  sins.  We  can  give  nothing  to 
God  which  is  not  already  his.  We  can 
do  no  good  thing  which  it  is  not  already 
our  duty  to  do.  We  must  therefore  have 
mercy  shown  towards  us,  or  must  suffer 
the  punishment  of  our  sins. 

The  law  requires  perfect  obedience, 
perfect  holiness  on  the  part  of  man.  It 
declares  that  any  and  every  act  of  diso- 
bedience shall  be  followed  by  punish- 
ment. The  strictness  of  the  law  can 
never  be  relaxed.  The  law  is  holy,  just 
and  good,  and  to  change  it,  were  an  act 
of  injustice.  God  himself  cannot  change 
the  moral  law,  or  fail  to  execute  its 
penalty. 

It  may  be  said,  that  those  who  make 
the  laws  can  change  them, — why  cannot 


the  lord's  prayer.  63 

God  change  the  laws  that  he  has  made? 
He  can  change  some  laws,  such  as  those 
pertaining  to  forms  and  ceremonies,  but 
he  cannot  change  right  to  wrong,  and 
wrong  to  right;  he  cannot  command  men 
to  sin,  and  forbid  them  to  be  holy,  be- 
cause his  holy  nature  is  a  law  to  himself; 
in  other  words,  because  He  is  holy.  The 
Bible  says,  it  is  impossible  for  God  to  lie; 
the  reason  is,  He  is  holy.  For  the  same 
reason  he  cannot  change  the  holy  law, 
nor  omit  the  penalty  in  case  of  violation. 

Sin  is  the  abominable  thing  which  Je- 
hovah hates.  If  no  suffering  or  disorder 
were  to  take  place  in  consequence  of  sin, 
still  his  holiness  would  lead  him  to  be  its 
avenger.  "  Justice  and  judgment  are  the 
habitation  of  his  throne."  He  can  never 
show  mercy,  till  justice  is  satisfied. 

Sinners  have  often  very  inaccurate 
ideas  of  the  character  of  God.     They 


64  the  lord's  prayer. 

think,  that  because  he  is  said  to  be  mer- 
ciful, he  can  show  mercy  without  regard 
to  justice;  that  he  can  violate  his  solemn 
declaration,  "  the  soul  that  sinneth  it  shall 
die."  They  thus  make  him  an  imperfect 
being,  "  altogether  such  an  one  as  them- 
selves." 

Do  you  believe  that  your  father,  when 
he  has  solemnly  promised  to  do  some- 
thing, which  he  is  fully  able  to  do,  will 
do  it?  Is  there  more  reliance  to  be  placed 
on  a  parent's  word,  than  on  the  word  of 
God? 

There  are  scarcely  any  who  deny  that 
they  have  need  of  mercy,  but  some  think 
they  can  induce  God  to  pardon  them,  by 
doing  better  in  time  to  come.  They  think 
they  can  merit  pardon  by  future  obedi- 
ence. But  they  forget  that  the  law  re- 
quires perfect  obedience  at  all  times.  Sup- 
pose you  are  required  every  day  to  pick 


65 


up  just  as  many  apples  as  is  possible. 
But  to-day  you  are  idle.  To-morrow  you 
will  pick  up  as  many  as  you  possibly  can. 
But  you  will  then  only  do  what  is  required 
of  you  that  day,  and  can,  therefore,  do 
nothing  towards  the  neglected  work  of 
to-day.  So  if  the  sinner  should  render 
perfect  obedience  to  the  law  in  future, 
it  would  not  make  amends  for  his  past 
'  transgressions. 

He  can  do  nothing  to  merit  forgiveness, 
and  yet  he  must  receive  it,  or  be  lost  for- 
ever. If  he  receive  it,  since  he  cannot 
ido  the  least  thing  to  merit  it,  it  must  be 
<of  grace,  a  free,  unmerited  favour.  But 
>how  can  a  just  God  show  mercy  when 
'he  has  declared  that  every  transgression 
•  shall  receive  a  just  recompense? 

You  know  the  way  in  which  God  can 
■  be  just  and  yet  justify  the  sinner.  Christ 
'■  has  died  to  make  atonement  for  sin,  and 
5 


66  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

when  the  sinner  exercises  repentance  and 
faith  in  him,  his  sufferings  are  accepted 
by  divine  justice  in  the  sinner's  stead, 
and  his  righteousness  is  imputed  to  the 
sinner. 

Now  in  order  that  one  may  pray  for 
forgiveness,  he  must  know  and  feel  that 
he  is  a  sinner.  He  must  not  only  know 
that  he  is  exposed  to  punishment,  but  he 
must  feel  conscious  of  guilt.  Do  you 
know  what  it  is  to  feel  conscious  of  guilt ; 
to  feel  that  you  are  guilty?  Remember 
it  is  one  thing  to  know  we  have  sinned, 
and  to  be  afraid  of  punishment,  and  an- 
other to  feel  a  sense  of  guilt.  Without 
this  sense  of  guilt,  there  is  no  such  thing 
as  true  repentance — no  such  thing  as  ac- 
ceptable prayer.  In  order  to  repentance, 
there  must  be  a  sense  of  guilt,  and  sorrow 
for  sin  for  its  own  sake.  Many  mistake 
here.     They  know  that  they  are  sinners. 


the  lord's  prayer.  67 

They  see  their  danger,  and  are  alarmed, 
and  are  sorry  they  have  sinned,  but  not 
with  a  godly  sorrow.     They  are  sorry, 
i  because  of  the  consequences  to  which  sin 
exposes  them,  not  because  it  is  the  abomi- 
nable thing  which  Jehovah  hates. 
;      I  can  illustrate  the  two  kinds  of  repent- 
'  ance  in  the  following  manner: — A  boy 
i  disobeys  his  father.     He  is  afraid  of  pun- 
1  ishment,  and,  therefore,  is  sorry  that  he 
;  disobeyed.     If  he  were  sure  that  his  fa- 
•  ther  would  never  find  it  out,  or  if  he  were 
t  sure  he  should   escape    punishment,  he 
t  would  care  nothing  about  it,  and  would 
J  readily  disobey  again  under  like  circum- 
i  stances. 

r      Another   boy  disobeys    his   father. — 

'3  When  he  thinks  of  what  he  has  done  he 

[  is  sorry.     He  is  sorry  beaause  he  has 

displeased    his    father,   because    he    has 

treated  him  unkindly  in  not  obeying  his 


DO  THE  LORDS  PRAYER. 

commands.  Perhaps  he  has  no  fear  that 
his  father  will  punish  him,  still  he  is  not 
the  less  sorry  that  he  has  repaid  that 
father's  kindness  with  disobedience.  He 
resolves,  at  all  events,  that  he  will  not 
disobey  again.  This  is  of  the  nature  of 
true  repentance  which  must  be  exercised 
towards  God,  before  we  are  authorized  to 
ask,  or  expect  to  receive  pardon  of  our 
sins. 

What  a  fearful  thing  to  live,  with  the 
record  of  unforgiven  sins  standing  against 
us  in  the  book  of  God's  remembrance! 

But  there  is  another  thing  which  is  too 
frequently  overlooked.  Many  seem  to 
suppose  that  repentance  is  all  that  is  ne- 
cessary. Yet  the  teachings  of  God's 
book  are  very  different.  We  are  autho- 
rized to  ask  forgiveness  only  so  far  as 
we  forgive  those  who  have  injured  us. 
"  Forgive  us  our  debts,  as  we  forgive  our 


the  lord's  prayer.  69 

debtors."  Again  it  is  said  :  "  For  if  ye 
forgive  not  men  their  trespasses,  neither 
will  your  Father  who  is  in  heaven  for- 
give you."  There  are,  I  doubt  not,  many 
self-deceived  souls — many  who  think  they 
are  forgiven  when  they  are  not.  They 
have  been  very  sorry  for  their  sins.  They 
have  prayed  very  earnestly  for  pardon; 
they  have  pleaded  the  promises,  and  they 
hope  they  are  forgiven.  At  the  same 
time  they  cherish  remembrances  of  inju- 
ries received;  they  have  not  exercised 
forgiveness  towards  those  who  have  in- 
jured them.  Now  the  word  of  God  in 
relation  to  such  standeth  sure.  There  is 
no  evading  it.  There  is  no  explaining  it 
away.  "  If  ye  forgive  not  men  their 
trespasses,  neither  will  your  heavenly 
Father  forgive  you  your  trespasses." 

If  you  cherish  feelings  of  revenge  and 
hatred  toward  any  human  being,  your 


70  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

prayers  have  not  been  heard,  and  your 
sins  all  stand  recorded  against  you,  in 
the  book  of  God's  remembrance. 

There  was  a  boy  on  his  way  to  school, 
on  a  bright  clear  day  in  February.  The 
snow  melted  to  a  degree  that  it  was  easily 
made  into  balls.  As  he  went  along  a 
large  boy,  who  did  not  belong  to  the 
school,  threw  a  snow-ball  which  struck 
him  in  the  face.  It  did  not  hurt  him 
much,  and  he  was  not  sure  but  that  it 
was  accidental,  but  when  his  nose  began 
to  bleed,  he  was  frightened  and  began  to 
cry.  His  assailant,  not  satisfied  with 
what  he  had  done,  now  began  to  laugh 
at,  and  to  ridicule  him,  before  several 
other  boys  who  were  near.  Ridicule  is 
harder  to  bear  thnn  snow-balls,  so  John 
became  very  angry,  and  the  consequence 
was  a  battle,  in  which  he  was  worsted. 

He  declared  that  he  would  have  ven- 


THE  LORD'S  PRAYER.  71 

geance,  let  it  cost  what  it  would.  He 
went  to  school,  but  his  thoughts  were  not 
on  his  studies.  When  he  went  home 
and  sat  by  the  fire-side,  he  was  brooding 
over  his  wrongs,  and  thinking  how  he 
should  punish  his  enemy.  When  he 
went  to  his  chamber  for  the  night,  and 
kneeled  down  to  pray,  he  got  along  pretty 
well  till  he  came  to  the  phrase  "  forgive 
us  our  debts  as  we  forgive  our  debtors." 
He  stopped  and  considered,  as  we  for- 
give our  debtors.  He  saw  that  he  was 
praying  to  God  not  to  forgive  him.  He 
was  afraid  to  offer  such  a  prayer.  What 
a  fearful  prayer  indeed  for  a  sinner  to 
offer!  to  pray  that  his  sins  may  not  be 
forgiven,  that  he  may  be  punished  for 
them  in  hell  to  all  eternity! 

How  many  offer  this  impious  prayer! 
The  fact  that  they  do  not  think  of  it,  does 
not  render  it  less  impious.     Many  swear 


72  the  lord's  prayer. 

without  thinking  of  it,  but  they  are  not 
the  less  guilty  of  swearing. 

Impious  prayers  of  this  kind  are  some- 
times answered.  In  the  county  of  Here- 
ford in  England,  a  man  came  before  a 
magistrate,  and  accused  a  young  man  of 
good  character  in  the  place  of  having 
robbed  him  on  the  high-way.  The  young 
man  was  arrested,  and  brought  before  the 
magistrate,  where  he  was  confronted 
with  his  accuser.  Certain  circumstances 
led  the  judge  to  suspect  that  the  charge 
was  false,  and  he  solemnly  warned  the 
accuser  not  to  incur  the  guilt  of  perjury. 
He  persisted  in  his  statement,  and  made 
oath  to  his  truth.  The  young  man 
brought  abundant  evidence  to  prove  that 
he  was  in  another  place  at  the  time  of 
the  alleged  robbery.  In  consequence  he 
was  discharged.  The  accuser  meeting 
one  of  his  neighbours  insisted  that  he 


the  lord's  prayer.  73 

was  not  guilty  of  perjury,  wishing  that 
if  he  had  not  spoken  the  truth  his  jaws 
might  be  locked,  and  his  flesh  rot  from 
his  bones.  In  an  instant  his  jaws  were 
locked,  and  after  lingering  speechless  for 
a  fortnight,  he  died  in  great  agony,  his 
flesh  literally  foiling  in  some  places  from 
his  bones. 

Other  authentic  instances  are  on  re- 
cord in  which  wicked  men  have  been 
taken  at  their  word,  when  they  have 
prayed  that  God  would  strike  them  with 
blindness,  palsy,  or  death.  Impious 
prayers  are  therefore  sometimes  answer- 
ed— and  may  be  in  the  case  under  con- 
sideration— forgive  us  our  debts  as  we 
forgive  our  debtors.  Before  we  approach 
the  mercy-seat,  we  must  consider  whe- 
ther we  have  feelings  of  hostility  or  un- 
kindness  toward  any  fellow  being ;  whe- 


74  the  lord's  prayer. 

ther  there  are  any  whom  we  have  not 
forgiven. 

Perhaps  you  will  say,  "  I  have  been 
injured  without  giving  any  provocation, 
yet  if  those  who  have  injured  me  would 
confess,  I  could  forgive  them.  But  they 
will  not  confess.  How  can  I  forgive 
them  if  they  will  not  confess?" 

You  can  forgive  them  for  Christ's  sake, 
even  as  God  for  Christ's  sake  has  for- 
given you,  if  you  are  a  Christian.  A 
forgiving  spirit  is  the  peculiar  spirit  of 
Christianity.  The  Bible  commands  us 
to  forgive  those  who  have  injured  us,  to 
love  those  that  are  hostile  to  us,  to  do 
good  to  those  who  hate  us.  These  pre- 
cepts differ  from  the  precepts  of  every 
other  religion.  This  difference  indicates 
that  it  had  its  origin  in  a  different 
source. 


the  lord's  prayer.  75 

I  know  it  is  hard  for  our  corrupt 
hearts  to  obey  these  precepts,  but  through 
the  aid  of  Divine  grace  it  can  be  done, 
and  the  happiness  which  is  thus  secured, 
more  than  repays  the  trouble  which  the 
obedience  costs.  The  joy  of  forgiveness 
is  greater  than  the  joy  of  revenge.  Look 
for  a  moment  at  one  who  has  gratified, 
by  some  injurious  act,  his  passion  of  re- 
venge ;  and  then  at  one  who  for  Christ's 
sake  has  forgiven  those  who  have  deeply 
injured  him:  and  say  which  is  the  hap- 
pier of  the  two?  Rely  upon  it,  God's 
rules,  however  difficult  they  may  seem, 
are  the  only  rules  which  can  secure  the 
highest  measure  of  happiness  to  the 
soul. 


76  the  lord's  prayer. 

CHAPTER  VIII. 

Lead  us  not  into  Temptation. 

I  remember  an  incident  told  me  by  a 
soldier  of  the  Revolution.  When  our 
army  lay  at  White  Plains,  a  party  was 
detached  to  secure  some  stores  which 
were  at  some  distance  from  the  camp,  in 
the  direction  of  the  enemy's  line.  While 
they  stood  waiting  for  the  officer  who  was 
to  command  them,  they  expressed  to  one 
another  very  earnest  desires  that  they 
might  not  be  ordered  to  march  by  the 
lower  road,  as  it  was  called,  as  it  would 
take  them  through  a  thick  forest  in  which 
the  enemy  might  be  concealed,  and  fire 
on  them  as  they  passed.  They  were  or- 
dered to  take  that  road,  and  were  attack- 
ed by  the  enemy  in  ambush.     They  had 


the  lord's  prayer.  77 

to  fight  at  disadvantage,  and  lost  several 
men  before  they  put  their  foes  to  flight. 

Now  in  the  moral  warfare  in  which 
we  are  engaged,  we  have  numerous  and 
powerful  enemies,  and  there  are  some 
paths  in  which  we  are  more  exposed  than 
others.  It  is  proper  that  we  should  de- 
sire to  be  led  in  those  paths  in  which  we 
shall  not  be  likely  to  find  foes  lying  in 
ambush;  in  which  we  shall  not  have  to 
fight  at  a  disadvantage.  We  are  taught 
therefore  to  pray,  "  Lead  us  not  into 
temptation."  By  this  is  meant  that  we 
may  not  be  placed  in  those  circumstances 
which  would  be  likely  to  be  the  occasion 
of  our  falling  into  sin. 

Men  often  lead  others  into  temptation. 
A  boy  leads  another  boy  to  an  orchard 
where  the  ripe  fruit  hangs  from  the 
boughs  in  an  inviting  manner — he  sets 
the  example  of  taking  some.     His  com- 


78  the  lord's  prayer. 

panion,  thus  led  by  him  into  temptation, 
yields  and  incurs  the  guilt  of  stealing. 

There  is  no  danger  that  God  will  lead 
us  into  temptation  in  this  way,  but  we 
need  deliverance  from  those  who  will,  and 
deliverance  from  them  is  implied  in  the 
prayer,  "  Lead  us  not  into  temptation." 

Some  employments  render  those  en- 
gaged in  them  less  exposed  to  temptation 
than  others.  An  employment  which 
leads  one  to  associate  with  those  who 
fear  not  God,  renders  it  much  harder  for 
him  to  keep  his  heart  with  diligence,  than 
one  which  gives  him  retirement  and  soli- 
tude. It  is  proper  to  pray  that  our  lot 
may  be  so  ordered,  that  we  may  not  be 
exposed  unduly  to  temptation  by  which 
we  shall  be  overcome. 

There  are  varieties  of  callings,  and  it 
is  some  men's  duty  to  abide  in  callings 
which  are  more  open  to  temptation  than 


the  lord's  prayer.  79 

others.  In  that  case  they  are  to  be  con- 
tent and  to  rely  on  the  promise,  "As thy 
day  is,  so  shall  thy  strength  be." 

By  offering  this  prayer  we  promise  to 
avoid  temptation  by  all  the  lawful  means 
in  our  power.  If  we  pray,  "  Lead  us  not 
into  temptation,"  and  then  rush  heedless- 
ly into  circumstances  of  exposure,  we 
only  insult  God — we  do  not  pray  to  him. 
This  heinous  sin  is  very  often  committed. 
Men  offer  this  prayer  and  yet  rush  wil- 
fully into  scenes  and  circumstances, 
which  expose  them  to  temptations,  which 
it  is  almost  certain  they  will  not  resist. 

A  parent  was  accustomed  to  pray  for 
his  son,  and  carefully  taught  him  to  pray 
for  himself.  He  taught  him  the  Lord's 
prayer — and  he  prayed  for  him  that  he 
might  be  kept  from  the  evil  that  was  in 
the  world.  When  the  son  was  about 
fourteen  years  of  age,  the  father  endea- 


80  THE  LORD'S  PRAYER. 

voured  to  find  a  situation  for  him,  in 
some  business  that  might  enable  him  to 
make  his  way  in  life.  A  pious  man  in 
a  small  business  offered  to  take  him.  He 
would  be  carefully  looked  after  and  kind- 
ly treated  if  there,  but  then  the  prospects 
of  his  becoming  rich  would  not  be  very 
flattering.  Another  place  was  offered. 
It  was  with  a  merchant  of  enterprise  and 
capital.  With  him  the  son  would  acquire 
large  experience,  and  would  be  in  the  road 
to  wealth.  But  this  merchant  was  a 
Universalist.  He  had  in  his  employment 
a  set  of  young  men  who  disregarded  the 
Sabbath  and  ridiculed  religion. 

The  praying  father,  allured  by  the 
prospect  of  temporal  advantage  held  out 
to  his  son,  placed  him  with  the  merchant, 
praying  that  God  would  keep  him  from 
the  evil  to  which  he  was  exposed. 

By  degrees  that  son  began  to  neglect 


THE  LORD'S  TRAYER.  81 

the  perusal  of  the  Bible,  for  it  led  the 
older  clerks  to  bestow  upon  him  the  epi- 
thet of  deacon.  He  occupied  the  same 
chamber  with  one  of  them,  and  hence 
could  not  often  bend  the  knee  in  prayer. 
For  a  time  he  repeated  his  prayers  after 
he  was  in  bed,  but  by  degrees,  he  aban- 
doned prayer.  The  Sabbath  gradually 
lost  its  sanctity  in  his  eyes.  In  short,  in 
the  course  of  a  few  months  he  could  join 
in  the  ridicule  of  that  religion  for  which 
he  formerly  felt  an  awful  veneration, 
and  he  became  at  last  a  rich  infidel. 

Let  parents  and  children,  while  they 
pray,  "  Lead  us  not  into  temptation,"  be- 
ware how  they  wilfully  or  thoughtlessly 
run  into  it.  God  will  be  provoked  to 
withdraw  his  aid,  and  leave  them  to  fall 
into  sin  and  ruin. 

By  offering  this  prayer  you  in  effect 
pledge  yourself  to  avoid  all  unnecessary 
6 


82  the  lord's  prayer. 

temptation.  Every  one  ought  to  know 
his  weak  points — the  sins  that  most 
easily  beset  him — those  into  which  he  is 
most  apt  to  fall.  All  occasions  to  these 
sins — all  circumstances  leading  to  temp- 
tation to  these  sins,  ought  to  be  carefully 
shunned.  Many  who  know  that  certain 
temptations  are  apt  to  beset  them,  yet 
have  so  much  confidence  in  themselves 
that  they  shall  not  be  overcome,  that 
they  will  not  be  prudent  in  season.  They 
rush  on,  fall  and  are  punished.  "  He 
that  trusteth  to  his  own  heart  is  a  fool." 
I  once  knew  a  boy  who  was  accustomed 
to  pass  daily  a  fine  cherry  tree  that  was 
loaded  with  fruit.  It  was  on  his  way  to 
school.  It  was  concealed  from  the  view 
of  the  house  by  the  barn,  and  was  so 
near  the  fence  that  by  getting  upon  it, 
the  fruit  could  be  plucked.  The  children 
were   accustomed  to   "  take    some,"  as 


the  lord's  prayer.  83 

they  called  it,  every  day;  but  John  said 
it  was  stealing.  He,  however,  earnestly 
desired  the  red  cherries,  and  in  order 
that  he  might  not  be  tempted  and  over- 
come, he  went  to  and  returned  from 
school  another  way,  till  the  fruit  was 
gathered  from  the  tree.  That  boy  acted 
consistently  with  the  prayer,  "  Lead  us 
not  into  temptation." 


CHAPTER  IX. 

But  deliver  us  from  Evil. 

Tins  phrase  may  mean,  deliver  us  from 
the  Evil  One — for  our  "  adversary,  the 
devil,  like  a  roaring  lion,  goeth  about 
seeking  whom  he  may  devour."  If  there 
were  a  great  giant  in   your  neighbour- 


84  the  lord's  prayer. 

hood,  that  was  constantly  on  the  watch 
to  seize  you,  and  lead  you  captive,  you 
would  be  greatly  afraid  of  him,  and 
would  be  sure  to  secure  the  aid,  if  pos- 
sible, of  some  one  who  was  able  to  de- 
fend you  from  his  power. 

Now  Satan  is  an  enemy  far  more  to 
be  feared  than  such  a  giant  would  be. 
The  giant,  at  the  worst,  could  only  take 
captive  and  destroy  the  body;  he  could 
not  lead  captive  and  destroy  the  soul. 
This  is  what  Satan  seeks  to  do;  this  is 
what  he  is  able  to  do,  and  this  he  will 
do,  unless  the  soul  is  kept  by  the  grace 
and  power  of  God. 

In  former  days,  there  were  many  who 
entertained  superstitious  fears  in  respect 
to  Satan.  They  were  afraid  he  would 
appear  in  a  visible  form,  to  seize  and 
carry  away  the  body.  Such  fears  are 
now  entertained  by  Cew  in  enlightened 


the  lord's  prayer.  85 


lands.  With  these  foolish  fears  have 
also  departed,  in  many  cases,  that  fear 
of  Satan  as  a  spiritual  foe,  which  the 
Scriptures  recognize  as  rational.  Many 
scarce  believe  in  the  existence  of  the 
devil,  and  would  ridicule  the  idea  of  be- 
ing afraid  of  him.  Others  never  think 
of  him  with  seriousness  as  a  potent 
enemy,  whose  assaults  may  be  attended 
with  the  greatest  danger.  But  the  Bible 
doctrine  on  this  subject  is  clear  and  ex- 
plicit. It  represents  Satan  as  a  subtle 
and  powerful  enemy,  against  whom  we 
are  always  to  be  on  our  guard,  and  in 
resisting  whom  it  is  necessary  to  be  com- 
pletely armed. 

Give  heed  to  the  teaching  of  the  Bible 
on  this  subject,  that  you  may  offer  prayer 
to  God  who  alone  has  power  to  deliver 
you  from  the  Evil  One. 

While  you  pray  for  deliverance,  you 


86  the  lord's  prayer. 

must  act  with  reference  to  it  also.  We 
must  resist  the  devil,  that  he  may  flee 
from  us ;  we  must  give  no  place  to  him 
in  our  hearts;  we  must  not  listen  to  his 
reasonings;  we  must  not  parley  with  his 
temptations.  All  this  we  engage  to  do 
when  we  pray,  "  deliver  us  from  evil." 

But  we  may  understand  the  petition 
under  consideration,  as  having  reference 
to  every  kind  of  evil,  temporal  and  spiri- 
tual ;  for  from  all  these  it  is  desirable  to  be 
delivered.  The  loss  of  gospel  privileges, 
spiritual  desertions,  and  severe  tempta- 
tions are  evils  which  we  are  to  guard 
against  by  watchfulness  and  prayer. — 
Sickness,  adversity,  loss  of  friends,  are 
evils,  for  deliverance  from  which  we 
may  pray.  All  these  things  are  under 
the  divine  control.  Affliction  cometh  not 
from  the  dust,  neither  doth  trouble  spring 
out  of  the  ground.    If  we  have  health,  it 


the  lord's  prayer.  87 

is  because  it  is  given  us  of  God.  If  we 
enjoy  prosperity,  it  is  because  God  has 
so  ordered  it.  If  our  friends  are  con- 
tinued to  us,  it  is  because  of  the  Lord's 
tender  mercies.  We  are  surrounded  by 
dangers,  and  we  are  feeble  and  defence- 
less. All  our  help  comes  from  God,  and 
hence  it  is  peculiarly  proper  that  we 
should  pray,  "  deliver  us  from  evil." 

In  regard  to  this  petition,  as  well  as 
others,  our  prayer  must  be  accompanied 
with  suitable  efforts.  When  we  pray  for 
health,  we  engage  to  use  the  means  for 
the  attainment  and  preservation  of  health, 
so  far  as  they  may  be  in  our  power.  We 
engage  to  avoid,  for  example,  all  intem- 
perance in  eating  or  drinking,  and  all 
unnecessary  exposure  of  the  body  to  dis- 
ease. 

When  we  pray  for  deliverance  from 
want,  we  engage  to  exercise  the  industry 


88  the  lord's  prayer. 

and  frugality  which  are  adapted  to  se- 
cure that  result.  If  by  these  means  we 
obtain  our  daily  bread,  it  should  be  as- 
cribed to  God,  and  not  to  our  own  wis- 
dom and  skill.  In  the  circumstances 
in  which  we  are  placed,  it  is  the  gift  of 
God,  as  much  as  it  would  be,  had  it 
been  bestowed  without  exertion  on  our 
part;  as  much  as  the  manna  was  the 
gift  of  God. 

There  are  few  who  feel  as  they  ought, 
their  dependence  on  God,  for  deliverance 
from  the  evils  to  which  they  are  exposed. 
Where  this  sense  of  dependence  is  not 
felt,  there  is,  of  course,  no  real  prayer. 
We  may  use  a  form  of  asking,  but  the 
heart  does  not  ask  for  that  of  which  it 
does  not  feel  the  need.  All  men  ought 
to  feel  that  they  are  completely  depen- 
dent upon  God  for  all  things,  and  for 
all  things  alike.     Some  think  they  are 


89 


more  dependent  for  some  things  than  for 
others.  This  is  not  so.  All  are  alike 
dependent  for  all  things. 

Perhaps  you  will  say,  "Is  the  rich 
man  as  much  dependent  upon  God  for 
his  daily  bread  as  the  beggar  who  has 
not  a  penny  1  The  rich  man  has  money 
with  which  he  can  purchase  bread,  and 
the  poor  man  has  not."  That  is  true, 
but  God  can  sweep  away  all  the  wealth 
of  the  rich  man  in  an  hour,  or  he  can 
cause  his  stomach  to  reject  every  article 
of  food.  I  recollect  reading  about  a  man 
who  crossed  the  ocean,  and  who  was  so 
sick  that  it  was  next  to  impossible  to  keep 
food  enough  on  his  stomach  to  keep 
him  alive.  He  said  he  never  before  felt 
his  dependence  on  God  for  daily  bread, 
as  when  he  was  in  danger  of  famishing 
amid  the  abundance  which  surrounded 
him. 


90  THE  LORD'S  FRAYER. 

By  cherishing  this  sense  of  depen- 
dence, we  shall  be  led  to  pray  aright, 
and  also  to  render  unto  God,  thanksgiv- 
ing and  praise. 


CHAPTER  X. 

For  thine  is  the  Kingdom,  and  the  Power,  and 
the  Glory,  forever. 

This  is  not  a  petition,  but  a  statement  of 
the  reasons  why  we  should  pray  for  those 
things  above  considered,  and  an  expres- 
sion of  our  complete  submission  to  the 
Divine  government.  The  government  of 
the  universe  belongs  to  God.  Nothing 
escapes  the  notice  of  the  great  Governor. 
He  numbers  the  hairs  of  our  head,  and 
notices  the  sparrow's  fall.     It  is  there- 


91 


fore  proper  that  in  every  thing  that  con- 
cerns us,  we  should  have  recourse  to  him. 

He  is  also  infinite  in  power.  None  can 
stay  his  hand,  or  ask,  "What  doest 
thou?"  All  that  he  sees  fit  to  ordain,  he 
has  power  to  execute.  The  energies  of 
his  nature  are  but  the  instruments  of  his 
will.  The  hearts  of  all  men  are  in  his 
hand.  It  is  therefore  proper  that  the 
feeble  should  apply  to  Him  for  protec- 
tion, and  ask  him  to  do  what  is  needful 
for  them. 

The  glory  of  the  universe  is  his.  The 
glory  of  the  material  universe  is  his.  He 
created  it,  he  gave  to  the  ocean  its  ma- 
jesty, to  the  earth  its  covering,  and  to  the 
heavens  the  glory-beaming  stars.  The 
glory  of  the  moral  universe  is  his.  All 
that  is  glorious  in  the  angelic  character 
is  his  workmanship,  all  that  is  glorious 
in  human  character  is  his  work,  in  fash- 


92 


ioning  it  anew  in  Christ  Jesus.  From 
every  piece  of  his  handiwork,  from  every 
holy  being  in  the  universe,  there  goes  up 
an  everlasting  chorus,  "  Thine  is  the 
glory  forever  and  ever." 

We  have  thus  gone  over  the  different 
portions  of  the  Lord's  Prayer.  We  have 
interpreted  it  in  the  light  of  a  dispensa- 
tion, which  was  not  fully  ushered  in, 
when  the  prayer  was  given.  Viewed  in 
this  light,  we  have  regarded  it  as  a  com- 
prehensive summary  of  the  object  of 
prayer. 

When  the  Christian  dispensation  was 
fully  ushered  in,  additional  instructions 
were  given  in  relation  to  prayer.  Chris- 
tians were  instructed  to  ask  in  the  name 
of  Christ.  This  is  the  peculiar  charac- 
teristic of  Christian  prayer,  and  to  this 
we  must  give  heed  when  we  use  the 
Lord's  Prayer.     Though  nothing  is  said 


93 


about  it  in  the  Lord's  Prayer,  and  nothing 
recorded  as  said  in  relation  to  it,  in  con- 
nexion with  the  giving  of  the  prayer,  yet 
all  prayer  ought  now  to  be  offered  in  the 
name  of  Christ;  and  it  is  only  to  prayer 
thus  offered,  that  the  promises  appertain. 
"Whatsoever  ye  shall  ask  the  Father  in 
my  name,  He  will  give  it  you." 

I  shall  close  by  quoting  a  few  passages 
of  Scripture  that  enjoin  the  duty  of  pray- 
er. "  Continue  in  prayer,  and  watch  in 
the  same  with  thanksgiving:  Praying 
always  with  all  prayer  and  supplication 
in  the  spirit.  The  Lord  is  nigh  to  all 
that  call  upon  him,  to  all  that  call  upon 
him  in  truth.  Ask  and  ye  shall  receive. 
If  ye  abide  in  me  and  my  word  abide  in 
you,  ye  shall  ask  what  ye  will,  and  it 
shall  be  done  unto  you.  And  this  is  the 
confidence  which  we  have  in  him,  that  if 
we  ask  any  thing  according  to  his  will, 


94  the  lord's  prayer. 

he  heareth  us.  I  will  therefore  that  men 
pray  everywhere,  lifting  up  holy  hands 
without  wrath  or  doubting." 

"Now  unto  Him  who  is  able  to  do  ex- 
ceeding abundantly  above  all  that  we  ask 
or  think,  according  to  the  power  that 
vvorketh  in  us,  unto  Him  be  glory  in  the 
church,  by  Christ  Jesus,  throughout  all 
ages,  world  without  end.     Amen." 


THE  END. 


